A Paralympic sports club based at the Sir Philip Game Centre in Addiscombe is seeking to recruit new players – including those without disability.
Goalball allows the visually impaired to play with and compete against players of all abilities
Goalball is a team ball game and is the only Paralympic sport specifically designed for the blind and visually-impaired. But because goalball is played using blindfolds to ensure all players are in the same circumstance, this means that sighted players can also get involved at a club level.
Croysutt Warriors goalball club is hoping that an announcement last week of £1.3million additional funding from Sport England for clubs who encourage participation will help them attract new players, too.
“At the heart of the Active Nation strategy is the wider value of sport, especially when it comes to under-represented groups who are more likely to be inactive such as the disabled,” said Mike Reilly, the CEO of Goalball UK. “The visually-impaired in particular can find it challenging to find opportunities to participate in sport and society more generally.
“The backing from Sport England comes as a result of quadrupling participation since the last funding cycle and effectively demonstrating how involvement in the sport has transformed lives. For this relatively small investment, every club will be able to act as a crucial social and support network for visually impaired people and their families.”
In goalball, players can feel the pitch through raised markings on the floor. They locate the ball through sound.
“Goalball clubs are above all a community and their doors are always open to those who want to discover a new sport, gain confidence and improve their health and well-being,” Reilly said.
For more information about the sport and the club, please contact Robin Faulkner on 07889 648925 or by email to sportexercisedance@hotmail.com
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